


casual teasing

by thatsmygvn (cougarlips)



Series: TWD Requests [29]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Universe, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, POV Third Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-10-10 19:56:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10446189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cougarlips/pseuds/thatsmygvn
Summary: “He’s relaxed around you, you know. Not like he used to be, but more than anyone else.”Prompt: I don't hate you, I just don't like that you exist (prick).





	

**Author's Note:**

> the implied/referenced character death refers to the fall of the prison and also kinda alludes to beth as well, but they're minor and only mentioned in passing.

The Daryl that Jesus met and the Daryl that Jesus faced now could have been two entirely different people, and that’s why it shocked Jesus to find out that _this_ Daryl – the one who refused to meet anyone else’s eyes, who cringed at sudden movement and the slightest touch, who retreated and isolated himself the moment anyone entered his space – was the Daryl he was most of the time.

It wasn’t that the Saviors changed him, Maggie told him, her eyes sad. It was that when Jesus met him he’d had longer than a second to breathe, to relax, and he let himself take a stronger role in the group.

“Back in Georgia,” she continued, “we had another community. A _full_ one. We survived there for a good six or seven months. Daryl opened up towards the end, but once he did….” She hesitated, her hands dropping to her lap and her face screwing up like it did when she tried not to cry.

“It’s okay,” Jesus tried to reassure her, and she glanced up to meet his eyes.

“All that matters is we lost it all,” she said softly. “And he hadn’t been the same, not since we finally got settled in Alexandria. He started relaxing again.”

She softened her gaze and reached out for his hand, holding it gently. “He’s relaxed around you, you know. Not like he used to be, but more than anyone else.”

And that was what really startled Jesus, because if he ever sat in Daryl’s presence all he could think about and notice was how closed off and prickly the other man was.

He risked his luck on a muggy summer evening and he walked inside his trailer at the Hilltop to find Daryl sprawled lazily across the pull-out couch with an arm draped over his face.

“Do you hate me?” he asked without any preamble.

Daryl only barely moved, readjusting his arm to look at Jesus with one eye. He shrugged. “Nah,” he finally answered, and it surprised Jesus just a little bit. He continued, “I just don’t like that you exist,” but the tired smirk that teased his lips gave him away.

And it felt so normal, just a casual tease at Jesus’s expense that Jesus couldn’t help but smile, and when Daryl took a heavy breath and exhaled on a quiet, “Prick,” Jesus laughed.

 

**Author's Note:**

> so first, regarding the timeline: obviously they were at the prison for over a year. lori, obviously, rode out the bulk of her pregnancy there. BUT, between the end of season 3 and the start of season 4, from taking in the folks from woodbury to where we pick back up and the community is in full swing, there was a six to seven month time gap. so really, team family spent at least a year there, maybe 13-14 months depending on how long u wanna say lori was pregnant there.
> 
> second, my twd blog is [@thatsmygvn](http://thatsmygvn.tumblr.com) and im always down to discuss these things lmao please


End file.
